Folding feed table for presses



Aug. 2a, 192&

1,682,668 F. s. ENGLISH .FOLDING FEED TABLE FOR PRBSSES 1 File p 1926 v s Sheets-Sheet 1 Aag. 2811928. 1,682,568

F. s. ENGLISH FOLDING FEED TABLE FOR PREssEs Filed se pz, 192s SSheets-Sheet 2 F. s. ENGLISH FOLDING FEED TABLE FOR PRES SES Filed Sepj- I926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES FRED S. ENGLISH, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

FOLDING FEED TABLE FOR PRESSES.

Application filed September 2, 1926. Serial No. 133,216.

My invention relates to feed tables such as are used for a stack of sheets which are being fed to a printing press, a cutting and.

creasing press, or any other machine adapted to operate on sheets; and I have chosen to illustrate my invention in connection with.

a well known type of printing press. The object of the invention 1S to provide a table for holding the sheets in position for the feeder to take the sheets from, in feeding them to the press, and to provide a device of this character which may be folded up out of the way to permit ready access to the working parts of the press whenever this access is desired. In the complete embodlmentof my in.- vention I have shown the rear portion of the feed table arranged to be swung out. of position to provide access to such parts of the press as the bed, and I have also shown the forward portion of the feed board arranged to 7 i be swung and folded out of position to ,ii e 1c cess to the cylinder of the press. My invention also includes a'device having these char-. acteristics and which is simple in construction and operation, and which may be operated quickly. With these and other objects in view my invention consists of the featurcs hereinafter described in detail.

In the drawings forming part of the application,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a press showing my inventionapphed thereto,

Figure 2 is a plan view of one side of the device shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the tracks for gu ding one section of the table in con unct1on with another,

Figure 4 is a view corresponding with Fig ure 1 showing the rear portion of the feed table elevated to give access to the bed of the Press, v

Figure 5 IS a similar view of the same device elevated to provide access to the cylinder of the press,

Figure 6 is a view at one end of the press showing my invention in a modified form, and

Figure 7 is a similar view of my invention in a slightly modified form.

Referring first to the construction shown in Figures 1. 2 and 3 the cylinder of the press is indicated by the numeral '1, 2 is a portion of the side frame of the press, and 3 is a feed table bracket which is mounted on the side frame and forms the principal support for the feed table; 4 is a small bracketbolted on the side frame of thepress and it serves to support the front leaf of the feed table adjacent the cylinder 1.

It will be understood that the members associated with the feed,

table are duplicated at opposite sides of the press and a description of parts of one side will therefore serve as a description of both sides. There is a stud 5 which is mounted on the upper end of the bracket 3 and it extends inwardly or toward the center line of the press as shown in Figure 2. This stud and a companion stud at the opposite side of the press form a pivot for the parts which carry the feed table.

The forward portion of the feed table is shown composed of comparatively narrow leaves 6 and 7 and the rear section is composed of a leaf 9. Between the leaves 7 and 9 I have shown leaf is connected with the leaf 9 my means of hinges 15 which permit these leaves to pivot in relation to each other. The-leaves 6 and 7 are attached to the lever arms 8, these arms pivoting from the studs5. The rear leaf is attached to the arms 16 and they pivot upon the studs 5. The arm 16, which will be duplicated at the opposite side of the press, has a projection 17 directed at an angle to the plane of the lever arm 16 in such relation that this extension will come up against the stop pin 18 which is attached to the table bracket 3 when the table is folded into the position shown in Figure 4.

It will be observed in Figure 1 that there is a gap 19 between the leaves 7 and 14 which relatively narrower at the top surfaces of these leaves but this gap broadens out near the under sides of the leaves as is indicated by the line 20 (Figure 3) on which the leaf 14. is chamfered. At each side of the leaf 14: there is attached a metal shoe or runner 21 which extends downwardly adjacent the front edge of the leaf 14 to the plane of the bottom of this leaf and then it extends rearwardly along the leaf at the side edge of it. There is a similar shoe or runner 22 arranged at each side edge of the leaf 7 and this runner eX- tends along the plane of theupper surface of this leaf and then turns downwardly at 22 and projects to the plane of the lower surface of this leaf. 'There is a runner 23 attached at each side edge of the leaf 6 and this forms substantially a continuation of the runner 22.

The operation of this form of my invention is as follows: If it is desired to raise the rear and the cylinder.

parts are section of the feed table to permit access to the bed of the press or to the form 2 the section 9 of the feed table with its supporting levers 16 is swung on the studs 5 to the position shown in Figure 4, whereupon the extensions 17 will rest against the pins 18 and sup port the parts in the position shown in this view.- lVhile the leaf 9 and its supports'are being elevated to this position, this leaf Swill swing in relation to the leaf 14, because the leaf 9 is fixed to the lever arms 16, whereas the leaf 14 is only connected with these levers by reason of its hinge connection 15 with the leaf 9. hen the lever arms 16 start to swing upwardly the leaf 14 is forced forwardly in relation to the leaves 6 and'i, since there is nothing at this time tending to move the latter leaves, and the guides 21 on the leaf 1 will rise upwardly on the forward ends 22 of the members 22 and on continued movement of the arms 16 the under portions of the shoes 21 will travel along the top portions of the members 22, and after traversing these members 22 the guides 21 will pass over onto the members 23 of the leaf 6. During this movement of the leaf 14 the latter is kept from touchingfthe leaves 7 and 6 by reason of the long bevel or chamfered edge which permits the guiding members 21, 22 and 23 to slide in relation to each other without having the leaves come into direct contact. lVhen the feed table is'moved tothe position shown in Figure 4 the operator has a wide space in which to'operate uponthe form carried upon the bed of the press, the dotted line 24, 25 indicating thelimit of access to the form.

lVhen it is desired to approach the cylinder 1 in this form of the invention the table leaf 9 will remain in its lower position, as shownin Figure 5 and the lever arms 16 will lie in substantially the horizontal position. The arms 8, however, together with the leaves 6. and 7, will he swung upwardly upon the studs 5 until the parts arrive at the position shown in'Figure 5 when the extensions 8 ofthe arms 8 will strike the stop pins 11 and support the parts in this position. "While the parts are being moved to this position,,the folding action of the leaves will take place in the same manner as first described. That is to'say, as the arms 8 swing upwardly they carry the table leaves 6 and 7 and cause the leaf 14 to pivot on the hinges 15 in relation to the leaf 9 which latter is now stationary. At the first part of this movement the members 21 and the leaf 14 ride up the incline 22 and thence along the tops of the guides 22 and 23. When the elevated to the position shown in Figure 5 the operator will have free access to the cylinder 1, limited only by the parts indicated by the line 26, 27. In this form of the inventionthere is free access to both the bed And in this form of the invention the operation of the table so far as the folding of the leaves is concerned, is auswung into and tomatic. That is to say, whether thelevcr arms 16 or the lever arms 8 are raised, the leaves automatically fold in relation to each other without special attention.

In Figure 6 I have shown the invention in a modified form. In this constructionithe rear leaf of the feed table is mounted on the arms 16' which operate similar to the corresponding arms in Figures 4 and 5 and this leaf is provided with guides "or tracks 31 at the side edges which extend downwardly at 32 to the plane of the bottom of the leaf 30. The forward section of the table comprises a fixed leaf 33 attached to the lever arms 8 and the second leaf 34 which is connected to the first one by means of hinges 35 so that the latter leaf may swing in relation to the former one. The leaf 34 has guides or tracks 36 at the sides extending along the plane'of the lower sideof the leaf and turning thence upwardly at 37 to the plane of the top of the leaf. In this construction, when the arms 16 are swung upwardly, as shown in Figure 6, the member 36 will ride up the incline 32 and thence along the members 31 so that the leaf 34 is raised into the position shown in this figure. lVhen the front section of the table is to be raised, the arms 16 and the leaf 30 remain down in substantially a horizontal position, and the arms 8 are raised. In this op eration the leaf 34 will be forced to rise with its guide members 36, sliding over the guide members 31, the same as before. In this operation I prefer to chamfer the edge 38 of one of the leaves the same as shown in Figure Gin order to prevent the leaves from striking one another and to confine the sliding action to the guiding members.

In Figure 7 I have shown a cation. In this view thereis a stationary leaf 39 attached to the lever arms 16 and there is a narrow leaf 40 connectedby hinges 41 to the fixed leaf, so that it may lie in the same plane with the latter or be swung on the hinges 41 to overlap the leaf 39. There is a fixed leaf 42 attached to the lever arms8 and at the rear there is a narrow leaf 43 attached further modifito the fixed leaf 42 by hinges 44. This construction permits greater access to the bed of i the press than in the former construction but it is necessary to fold the leaves 4.0, 43 by hand while raising either the lever arms 16 or the lever arms 8. I

In each form of the invention I have shown a feed table the leaves of which are adapted to be folded up out of operative position, to provide ready access to the bed of the press, or the cylinder, and the folding operation may be performed very quickly.

Having described my invention, claim is:

1. In a press, a feed table for the stock. comprising front and rear sections mounted on supports to permit said sections to be out of active position, at least what I one of said sections including table leaves arranged to fold in relation to each other, for the purpose set forth.

In a press, a feed table for the stock, comprising front and rear sections adapted to lie in contiguous relation and mounted on supports which permit said sections to be swung into and out of active position, at least one of said sections including table leaves arranged to fold in relation to each other for the purpose set forth.

3. In a press, a feed table for the stock, comprising front and rear sections adapted to lie in contiguous relation and mounted on independent rocking supports, which permit said sections to be swung into and out of active position, at least one of said sections including leaves arranged to fold in relation to each other.

In a press, a feed table for the stock, comprising front and rear sections adapted to lie in contiguous relation and mounted on independent rocking supports having a common axis, said supports permitting said sections to be swung into and out of active position. at least one of said sections includi' eaves arranged to fold in relation to each other.

In a press, a feed table for the stock, comprising front and rear sections mounted on pivotal supports to permit said sections to be swung into and out of active position, one of said sections having a leaf adapted I to be automatically rocked in relationto its support when said support is rocked.

leaves, one of said 6. In a press, a feed table for the stock, comprising front and rear sections mounted on pivotal supports to permit said sections to be swung into and out of active position, one of said sections having a leaf pivoted in relation to its support and engaging the other section of said table whereby said leaf will be swung on its support as its support is swung.

7. In a press, a feed table for the stock, comprising a plurality of contiguous sections each mounted on pivotal supports to be swung into and out of active position, one of said sections having a leaf pivoted in relation to its support, said latter leaf and the other of said sections having co-operating guiding means for causing said pivoted, leaf to fold when swung with its supports.

8. In a press, a feed table for the stock,

comprising a plurality of sections each mounted on pivotal supports to be swung into and out of active position, said sections comprising contiguous leaves the adjacent edges of which are spaced by an opening which widens toward the bottom of the sections having a leaf pivoted in relation to its supports, said latter leaf and the other of said sections having co-o 'ierating guiding means for causing said pivoted leaf to fold.

Signed at the city and county of N eW London, State of Connecticut, this 25th day of August, 1926.

FRED S. ENGLISH. 

